The Sandringham Yacht Club (SYC) hosted today’s third round of the 2015 Port Phillip Women’s Championship Series (PPWCS). Sensational Autumnal weather greeted the crews that had turned out for the Women In Sailing Challenge, which is usually a set of sprint races.

Since the early 2000’s, the penultimate round of Melbourne’s Club Marine Series has been all about supporting kids with cancer. Specifically, it is about assisting both them and their families through a very challenging time.

Conducted right up the top of Port Phillip in the area known as Hobsons Bay, there was always a chance of a good spectator crowd, even if the fleet size was smaller than the opening round. Cruise ships, car carriers, barges and tugs all were in operation in this busy segment of the watery expanse known in Melbourne simply as, The Bay.

Bobbing around when you’re meant to be racing is never a lot of fun. Even when you’re bathed in sunshine at the picturesque Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron (RMYS) in St Kilda, at the top of Melbourne’s Port Phillip, you can think of a million things that would be better.

After a long hiatus for the busy Christmas period, there was many a joyous crew out on Melbourne’s Port Phillip today. Literally, they were swimming in it. As you can see from the pics, some were even doing so very creatively. Providing there even is such a thing…

Yes. Huey does have a heart. Well, at least that’s exactly what the God of Wind wants you to think of him. Almost in spite, or was it redemption, he turned on a bright, sunny and warm 25˚C day with consistent Sou’souwesters of 10-15knots. Most could remember, but probably chose to forget Round Two back at the beginning of the November, which was blown out.

Nothingâ€™s better than someone keeping his or her promise. You can rely on them and simply go about getting the job done with a minimum of fuss. So imagine then, if you will, something that had all started so well. Daylight savings had kicked in. A freezing Winter had concluded. There had even been a whole swag of 25+degree days to be enjoyed.

Just like the sirens from the Blue and Whites as they go roaring off to an emergency, it is time to alert you all to the impending 2014/15 Club Marine Series. As per the previous season, you can choose to race one or all of the seven event day series and as some have shown, mix it up between Blue and White Divisions, depending on your crew. Notices of Race available NOW!

The 2014 Association Cup is on this Sunday, April 13. See which craft are making up the teams from RYCV, RMYS, RBYC and SYC by going checking in here. Once racing begins, you'll also be able to get the results...

Certainly there was champagne for the winners of the Club Marine Series that concluded on Melbourne’s Port Phillip yesterday. Yet it was everyone that was able to enjoy the bubbles, as it were, for the proverbial champagne sailing was delivered by virtue of the light breezes, flat water and abundant sunshine.

There was a time when burgers came from small shops at your local shopping strip, and one with the lot really was a hefty piece of work. There was a kind of classic Melbourne day to be had by those partaking in Round Six of the annual Club Marine Series on Port Phillip. It had everything from beaming and strong sunshine, gusty Northerly winds, to far too ominous clouds...

Normally, 20 plus 20 would make 40 – happily. However, dividing 40 into 20˚C and 20knots from the South is definitely not the same thing. The inverse proportionality between the last two rounds of the Club Marine Series could not have been more profound. Personally, this scribe will take the 40˚C and light, often vague breezes from any number of directions. Frustrating - perhaps. Challenging - yes

The forecast had been very clear. It was going to be light and variable on Melbourne’s Port Phillip for Round Four of the Club Marine Series. Reading on, you saw that the BoM also offered an afternoon sea breeze and thank goodness for that. Even at midday, when the mercury had already started its inexorable climb to 40˚C, the Bay had as many holes in it as some of Switzerland’s finest dairy

Yes. Fleet starts, the use of kites and new courses for CMS Division Blue are now part of the 2014 component of the season. You can enter the lot or one at a time. These include new courses around the sticks for Rounds Four and Seven, as well as mini passage races from RMYS to RBYC for Round Five and RBYC to RMYS for Round Six.

Sam Haines was out on White Noise having a look and preparing some ideas for offshore sails for Jason Close. Of course that's just part of it and Sam was out on the intervening weekend doing the 5o5 State Title, so there is always something going on in the UK.

In thanking Sam and Liz Haines for the UK Sailmakers prize for Round One of the 2013/14 Club Marine Series, Luke Reinehr ends up getting the nod from us for his outstanding reply. So as Warner Wolf used to say, 'Let's go to the videotape!

Just about everything operated in a small window. The waves were 1 to 1.5m, it was either freezing or just plain cold and a gap of sunshine was about as adventurous as it got before the tiny icicles returned to have you tugging at your collar once more. Thankfully, the breeze was also operating in a tight range – casual to fresh and even then, it barely spent any real time at the upper marker.